wire - news in brief

Microtechnics/Electroengineering

Embark on a cognitive revolution at EPFLUse your brainwaves to control the workings of a machine and contribute to science at EPFL ArtLab's next art-science exhibition, "Mental Work" from October 27 th - February 11 th , 2018.

Quantum Sensors Decipher Magnetic Ordering in a New Semiconducting MaterialFor the first time, physicists have successfully imaged spiral magnetic ordering in a multiferroic material. These materials are considered highly promising candidates for future data storage media. The researchers were able to prove their findings using unique quantum sensors that were developed at Basel University and that can analyze electromagnetic fields on the nanometer scale.

An expert in tiny medical helpersSimone Schürle likes to get to the bottom of things. Since August, the microand nanotechnology expert has been working as Assistant Professor of Responsive Biomedical Systems at ETH Zurich to develop tiny machines for medical applications in the human body.

Physics/Materials Science - Microtechnics/Electroengineering

28.07.2017

From Zurich to Berlin in 35 minutesFifty students from ETH Zurich and other Swiss universities want to revolutionise transport. For a race set up by Elon Musk, they have developed a zero emission capsule that could in future transport people and goods through a vacuum tube at almost the speed of sound.

Physics/Materials Science - Microtechnics/Electroengineering

19.07.2017

Manipulating Electron Spins Without Loss of InformationPhysicists have developed a new technique that uses electrical voltages to control the electron spin on a chip. The newly-developed method provides protection from spin decay, meaning that the contained information can be maintained and transmitted over comparatively large distances, as has been demonstrated by a team from the University of Basel's Department of Physics and the Swiss Nanoscience Institute.

Unbalanced wind farm planning exacerbates fluctuationsIf European countries cooperated better in the field of wind energy, wind power output would fluctuate less. This is the conclusion reached by a group of energy and climate researchers at ETH Zürich and Imperial College London, who for the first time have combined a long-term analysis of predominant weather patterns with Europe-wide wind electricity generation.

Computer Science/Telecom - Microtechnics/Electroengineering

29.06.2017

Building with robots and 3D printersAt the Empa and Eawag NEST building in Dübendorf, eight ETH Zurich professors are collaborating with business partners to build the three-storey DFAB HOUSE.

New Method of Characterizing GrapheneScientists have developed a new method of characterizing grapheneâ?‘s properties without applying disruptive electrical contacts, allowing them to investigate both the resistance and quantum capacitance of graphene and other two-dimensional materials. Researchers from the Swiss Nanoscience Institute and the University of Baselâ''s Department of Physics reported their findings in the journal Physical Review Applied.

Physics/Materials Science - Microtechnics/Electroengineering

23.05.2017

High voltage for tomorrow’s particle acceleratorOn behalf of CERN, researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a high-tech device for the production of extremely precise, high voltage pulses that could be used in the next generation of particle accelerators.

Temperature sensor for artificial skinThe capacity to detect temperature changes is an important function of the human skin. Researchers at ETH Zurich have now developed a highly sensitive and, at the same time, flexible temperature sensor, which could soon be used in prosthetic limbs and robotic arms. Rattlesnakes and pit-vipers are famous for being able to safely locate their prey even in absolute darkness.

A world record followed by a world premiereA new world record for acceleration, a timber roof built by construction robots, and a unique competition for people with disabilities: in 2016, research and campus life at ETH Zurich were dominated by innovation and premieres.

Computer Science/Telecom - Microtechnics/Electroengineering

09.11.2016

Robotic encountersVisitors are flocking to Treffpunkt Science City. Around 3,600 captivated visitors attended the Sunday Special ‘Die Roboter sind los' (Robots on the loose) to see ETH Zurich's various robotics projects in action.

Welcome to the World 4.0!Self-driving cars, talking robots and intelligent houses: the autumn edition of the Treffpunkt Science City series begins next Sunday and will focus on everyday life in the World 4.0.

Physics/Materials Science - Microtechnics/Electroengineering

11.10.2016

Selectively conductive or insulatingHighly sensitive X-ray scattering shows why an exotic material is sometimes a metal, sometimes an insulator. Some materials hold surprising - and possibly useful - properties: neodymium nickel oxide is either a metal or an insulator, depending on its temperature. This characteristic makes the material a potential candidate for transistors in modern electronic devices.

Microtechnics/Electroengineering - Mechanical Engineering/Mechanics

25.09.2016

Learn how to walkAt first glance, exoskeletons conjure up images of futuristic robots from science fiction films. But the exoskeleton from the ETH team VariLeg is a real-life aid that could allow people with paraplegia to walk again.

Electrons at the speed limitElectronic components have become faster and faster over the years, thus making powerful computers and other technologies possible. Researchers at ETH Zurich have now investigated how fast electrons can ultimately be controlled with electric fields. Their insights are of importance for the petahertz electronics of the future.

Tera incognitaAlthough terahertz radiation is as harmless as a lukewarm cup of tea, it can penetrate textiles and come into with the surface of the skin.

Microtechnics/Electroengineering

15.06.2016

Internet of Things for Smarter Living15.06.16 - EPFL scientists are developing a new concept of a smart building that adjusts to your lifestyle, by allowing you to control your preferences.

Physics/Materials Science - Microtechnics/Electroengineering

06.04.2016

Silicone films for artificial musclesResearchers of the University of Basel and Empa have gotten a step closer to engineering artificial muscles: they have developed a method to generate nanometer-thin silicone films.

Microtechnics/Electroengineering - Medicine/Pharmacology

21.03.2016

Microagents with revolutionary potentialMicro and nanorobots that attack tumours with maximum precision using drugs: this is what the fight against cancer may look like in the future. A group of ETH researchers led by Salvador Pané are laying the foundations with magnetoelectric-controlled Janus machines. The Janus particles move by means of rotating magnetic fields (l.).

A step towards artificial photosynthesisFuel cells generate electrical energy through a chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. To obtain clean energy, the splitting of water into its components of hydrogen and oxygen is critical. Researchers at Empa and the University of Basel study how sunlight can be used for this purpose. The scientific journal Chemical published their latest results.

Four professors appointed at ETH ZurichUpon application of the President of ETH Zurich, Lino Guzzella, the ETH Board appointed a total of four professors, and awarded the title of professor to two individuals.

Physics/Materials Science - Microtechnics/Electroengineering

17.11.2015

Electrons Always Find a (Quantum) WayScientists from the Swiss Nanoscience Institute and the Department of Physics at the University of Basel have demonstrated for the first time how electrons are transported from a superconductor through a quantum dot into a metal with normal conductivity. This transport process through a quantum dot had already been calculated theoretically in the nineties, but scientists at the University of Basel have now succeeded in proving the theory with measurements.

Microtechnics/Electroengineering - Physics/Materials Science

10.11.2015

Microwave Field Imaging Using Diamond and Vapor CellsMicrowave field imaging is becoming increasingly important, as microwaves play an essential role in modern technology and can also be used in medical diagnostics. Researchers from the Swiss Nanoscience Institute and the Department of Physics at the University of Basel have now independently developed two new methods for imaging microwave fields.

Microtechnics/Electroengineering - Computer Science/Telecom

05.11.2015

EPFL hosts robots from all over Switzerland05.11.15 - They fly, crawl, swim or sift through rubble after a disaster: robots from all across Switzerland were brought to EPFL on Wednesday for the first ever Swiss Robotics Industry Day (video report).

12 professors at ETH Zurich appointedUpon application of the President of ETH Zurich, Professor Lino Guzzella, at its meeting of September 23 rd /24 th 2015 the ETH-Board appointed 12 individuals as professors.

An insect eye for drones12.08.15 - Inspired by the compound eyes of fruit flies, a team of researchers from EPFL has developed an artificial eye that allows robots to detect and avoid obstacles.

Physics/Materials Science - Microtechnics/Electroengineering

05.04.2015

Proton beams are back in the LHCGeneva, 5 April 2015. After two years of intense maintenance and consolidation, and several months of preparation for restart, the Large Hadron Collider, the most powerful particle accelerator in the world, is back in operation.